Sins - we must share a common ancester - I'm ashamed to say.

I have three vivid memories ( read post-traumatic flashbacks:>)

5 years old, at the home of family friends on a summer Sunday evening. They lived in town on the side of a ridge. Residential street is essentially a series of switchbacks, and they live on the downside. T'was riding a tricycle up on the street, and pulled off into the very steep driveway when a car came around the curve, lost my footing on the pedals, and kept going. I remember screaming bloody murder all the way down the driveway until I was stopped by the cinderblock wall at the back of the garage. I remember the promise of ice cream on the way to the ER. I remember the nice doctor who said not to feed me anything for awhile, including ice cream. I remember everyone frantically searching for my younger sister when we returned from the ER. She was found in tears hiding in a closet, thinking I had died.

About age 10, riding bicycles with the neighborhood kids up and down the street. We had a nice hill that would really let you pick up some speed. Was flying along, thrilled with the wind and speed. Neighbor boy who was only 2 years older but already 6' tall and close to 200 lbs steps out into the street without looking, immediately in front of me, and I run right into him. I go flying head-over-heels right over top of him. No trip to the ER that time, but I am banged and scraped from head to toe. He was so substantial and solid that it didn't even knock him down. He just stood there for a minute, shaking it off, then went and got my Mom.

Early twenties, a casual, side-by-side ride through a residential neighborhood with my boyfriend. I have always had major problems with "left" and "right". As we came up on an intersection, he said, "Go right here." So of course I turned left as he was turning right and we had a quite spectacular wreck that damaged both bikes and left both of us quite bloodied.

Bless his heart. All he said was, "I knew I should'a pointed."